Phoenix Coyotes rally back to defeat the Nashville Predators in a shootout

GLENDALE -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett paced back and forth behind the bench, absentmindedly crossing his arms and then stuffing his hands his pockets before repeating the process.

He had a front-row view to a Halloween horror show when he signed on to watch a hockey game.

The Coyotes fell into an early 3-0 hole, but that meant they had plenty of time to clean up their act against the Nashville Predators.

And they did, erasing that deficit and rallying to win 5-4 in a shootout Thursday in front of 7,401 at Jobing.com Arena.

“That was Jekyll and Hyde wasn’t it?” Tippett said. “That was perfect for the night.”

Winger Mikkel Boedker was the lone player to score, in the fifth round, and that kept the Coyotes unbeaten (6-0-1) on home ice in regulation. With the win, Tippett tied Bobby Francis for most wins in franchise history for a head coach, 165.

The Predators offered a reprieve from a division-heavy schedule, which continues for the next three games, but they weren’t a pushover.

The Coyotes should have been well-aware of that considering how similar both teams’ styles are, but their performance in the first period suggested otherwise. The Predators averaged 1.92 goals-per-game before meeting the Coyotes but racked up three in the first 20 minutes of play.

“I think there’s been some soft goals go in, and I think we’ve taken some untimely penalties,” Tippett said. “If you add those two things up, I think you’re going to see a lot of chances-against or goals-against in the first period.”

Center Matt Hendricks snuck behind the Coyotes defense and wired a shot far-side nine minutes into the game on goalie Thomas Greiss, who started so No. 1 Mike Smith could enjoy a night of rest. Greiss finished with 36 saves.

The Predators went up 2-0 at 14:12 when winger Patric Hornqvist’s cross-crease feed banged off winger Eric Nystrom, who had positioning on winger Lauri Korpikoski.

Later in the period, after center Mike Ribeiro was already in the box for a tripping call, Boedker was whistled for an illegal check to the head.

The Predators capitalized on the 5-on-3 power play at 18:24 on a shot from center David Legwand. Nashville scored three goals on nine shots. The Coyotes have now been outscored 17-5 in the first period.

“We were unhappy with it,” defenseman Derek Morris said. “We all said (in the first intermission) we have to be better, a little more intensity. Hopefully get one in the first 10 minutes of the second, and we were fortunate enough to do it.”

Winger Jordan Szwarz scored his first NHL goal in only his second game. His shot off the wing deflected off of Predators defenseman Kevin Klein’s stick at 2:21 and skidded past goalie Carter Hutton, the team’s interim starter while Pekka Rinne is out for at least a month with an infection in his hip.

“Great feeling,” Szwarz said. “To get one under my belt early is often. (Zbynek Michalek) gave a great pass to me there, so my mindset is just getting the puck on net there with teammates going to the net. Fortunately, I got a good bounce and it went in.”

Morris pulled the Coyotes within one at 9:51 of the second when he let loose a slap shot at the top of the faceoff circle. With four goals, Morris not only has the most among the Coyotes’ defensemen but he’s also tied for most goals among defensemen in the league.

“People don’t know how hard he shoots it except the goalies,” Tippett said. “They know how hard and the one thing I’ll say when he shoots it, you saw the shot he had tonight – he shoots to score. He doesn’t shoot to hope to score. He almost put that through the net today. He shoots it hard.”

The Predators bumped their lead to two 4:15 into the third when center Paul Gaustad poked in a rebound at the top of Greiss’ crease, but the Coyotes earned it back only 2:01 later on the power play. Defenseman Keith Yandle jumped at the blue line to keep the puck in the zone, and center Mike Ribeiro set up Shane Doan in front of the net.

“That was a pretty deflating feeling,” Doan said about the Predators fourth goal. “That was one of those ones not a lot was going on and we were trying to get back into it, and then all of a sudden you’re down two again. But our PP has helped us and gotten big goals for us.”

Another 2:01 later, the Coyotes tied it when center Antoine Vermette scored on a breakaway. Vermette ran into Hutton and the goal had to be reviewed, but the puck went in five-hole before the collision.

That sent the game to overtime, and in the shootout Ribeiro, winger Radim Vrbata, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and defenseman David Rundblad were blanked before Boedker scored, with Greiss stopping all five Predators shooters.

“We’re finding ways to get points, and hopefully that continues,” Tippett said. “But the biggest thing we have to continue to improve. We want to be a top team in this league, if we’re going to be a top team, there are areas we have to improve.”

Report

Key player: Predators center David Legwand had a goal and added a pair of assists through regulation.

Key moment: The Coyotes secured at least one point when center Antoine Vermette scored on a breakaway at 8:17 of the third period to tie it at 4.

Key number: 3 goals allowed in the first period by the Coyotes. They’ve been outscored 17-5 in that period so far this season.

View from the press box: Once the Coyotes’ forward group gets back to full strength, it looks like they’ll have some tough decisions to make. Call-ups Andy Miele and Jordan Szwarz have done well with this opportunity, but someone will have to come out of the lineup once center Martin Hanzal returns Saturday from suspension. They’ll have to send someone back to the minors once center Jeff Halpern comes off injured reserve. Right now, there doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer.

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